To: Dr.

Dees Stallings From: Daniel Dyer Date: March 19, 2011 Subject: Introduction Schizophrenia affects approximately 1% of the adult population in the United States (NIMH, 2011). This is the most common problematic mental disorder as it causes an array of problems such as Hallucinations, Delusions and Thought Disorders. It proves one of the most problematic mental health disorders regarding social order, as many Schizophrenics do not take medicine by choice or cost. Statement of Problem Not including the damaging toll Schizophrenia takes on an individuals health, the social problems take a much higher toll. As approximately one-third of all homeless have a mental illness, many of these people have Schizophrenia (Treatment Advocacy, 2011). Additionally, There are approximately 1,000 homicides among the estimated 20,000 total homicides in the U.S. committed each year by people with untreated schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. According to a 1994 Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, "Murder in Families," 4.3 percent of homicides committed in 1988 were by people with a history of untreated mental illness-study based on 20,860 murders nationwide(Treatment Advocacy, 2011). As you can see, the social toll carries a heavy weight on our society and culture. The underlying problem carries two variables. 1. There are highly negative side effects of the schizophrenia drugs on the market. They include significant weight gain and depression due to the lowering of the reward neurotransmitter Dopamine in the nervous system. 2. Many people with schizophrenia do not seek help do to knowledge of their disorder, financial reasons, or due to the paranoid nature of sufferers Proposed Solution One possible solution would be to have a public media campaign to outreach persons with schizophrenia, much like depression and suicide outreach programs. This could also entail charity or awareness events, much like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which has awareness walks all over the country. Having psychiatrist visit homeless persons would also be another viable option with this program. Much deeper, the treatment drugs need to be further researched, as if there were a more effective drug with less side effects, such problems would be less of a hindrance in attempting to treat schizophrenics. Due to the lower income status of most Schizophrenics, the incentive is not there for major drug companies to research more effective treatments. Additionally, many of the drug research programs for Schizophrenia come from Universities, which carries more as charity and advertising work for their respective School, thus financial incentive. Scope

I will attempt to answer the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What is the current expenditure on Schizophrenia research? What current treatment options are available? What kind of public outreach campaigns exist? How can such campaigns become more effective? What is the public health cost of such issues? What is the social cost of such issues?

Methods My primary data will include information from various Universities researching Schizophrenia treatment programs. My Qualifications I have had a major in Psychology over my studies at Park University, which is near complete. I also have volunteered for NAMI charity events as well as other charity programs for Schizophrenics in the San Diego area. Conclusion It is imperative that action be taken to target this unfortunate mental disease so that we may assist people undergoing undue pain as well as help the community with problems that the mentally ill may bring. Citations National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011).Schizophrenia Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/ schizophrenia/index.shtml Kuipers E, Garety P, Fowler D, Freeman D, Dunn G, Bebbington P. Cognitive, emotional, and social processes in psychosis: refining cognitive behavioral therapy for persistent positive symptoms. Schizophr Bull. 2006;32 Suppl 1:S2431 American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Schizophrenia. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR (4th ed.). Arlington: Author. Treatment Advocacy Center. (2011). Schizophrenia. Arlington, VA. Retrieved from http:// www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/problem/consequences-of-non-treatment/schizophrenia

Kurtz MM. Neurocognitive impairment across the lifespan in schizophrenia: an update. Schizophrenia Research. 2005;74(1):1526.